Cast Iron Systems’ software-as-a-service provides cloud computing integration appliances for large and midsize companies, including Allianz, NEC, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Dow Jones, Schumacher Group, ShoreTel, Sports Authority, Time Warner, Westmont University and others. The company has capitalized on the growing trend of companies running key business applications through software as a service models and cloud deployments.

Clearly, the acquisition represents IBM’s strong push to the cloud, with IBM expecting the global cloud computing market to grow to $126 billion by 2012.Cast Iron’s offerings will help IBM customers integrate their cloud-based applications and on-premise systems and advance IBM’s capabilities for a hybrid cloud model.